Abstract
Peter I’s use of Arabic inscriptions lies within the scope of a wider architectonic project which draws its inspiration straight from patterns inherited from al-Andalus –as shown by Antonio Almagro Gorbea y Juan Carlos Ruiz Souza– and raises a series of questions. Indeed, the assimilation by a Christian king of Islamic codes representative of power leads us to think about the meaning and the function of these inscriptions since epigraphy is closely related to Islam and the Koranic message. Moreover, it raises the problem of the reception of a language different from that which is commonly used by the originator of the inscriptions and his environment. We will try to show, from various angles, how the symbolical value of these Arabic inscriptions can serve the king’s attempts of reinforcing his political power in Castile: through the general effect they are intended to produce on the reader, through the ideological content of the epigraphic discourse and through the discursive act itself, i.e. the mere fact of resorting to Arabic epigraphy.
Highlights
Peter I’s use of Arabic inscriptions lies within the scope of a wider architectonic project which draws its inspiration straight from patterns inherited from al-Andalus –as shown by Antonio Almagro Gorbea y Juan Carlos Ruiz Souza– and raises a series of questions
The assimilation by a Christian king of Islamic codes representative of power leads us to think about the meaning and the function of these inscriptions since epigraphy is closely related to Islam and the Koranic message
We will try to show, from various angles, how the symbolical value of these Arabic inscriptions can serve the king’s attempts of reinforcing his political power in Castile: through the general effect they are intended to produce on the reader, through the ideological content of the epigraphic discourse and through the discursive act itself, i.e. the mere fact of resorting to Arabic epigraphy
Summary
El recurso a las inscripciones árabes por parte de Pedro I se incluye en un proyecto arquitectónico más amplio que se inspira directamente en los modelos andalusíes –como lo han demostrado Antonio Almagro Gorbea y Juan Carlos Ruiz Souza– y plantea una serie de interrogantes. La asimilación de códigos islámicos representativos del poder por parte de un rey cristiano nos insta a reflexionar sobre el sentido y la función de estas inscripciones ya que la epigrafía está estrechamente vinculada con el islam y el mensaje coránico. Intentaremos mostrar cómo estas inscripciones árabes pueden servir al objetivo de fortalecer el poder regio en Castilla en el ámbito simbólico, desde varias perspectivas: por el efecto general que intentan producir en el destinatario, por el contenido ideológico del discurso epigráfico y por la propia actividad discursiva es decir por el mero hecho de recurrir a la epigrafía árabe. The written power: problems and meaning of the Arabic inscriptions in the palaces of Pedro I of Castile (1350-1369)
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